Debates of June 16th, 2022

Government Priorities

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians are frustrated.

For the past two years, they have followed the rules and stayed home. They want to travel and go on vacation. We are doing everything we can. Demand is incredible right now. The government is working on it, changing the process and adding more people to serve Canadians. We will keep working on it until we fix it.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the problem is the government's chaotic management.

Regarding COVID‑19, the Minister of Health was slow at every step. Regarding passports, the minister did not know that Canadians would want to travel after COVID‑19. Regarding immigration, the minister asked Ukrainians to make an appointment online. Regarding international affairs, the minister has no problem with people attending a party at the Russian embassy. Regarding the military, the previous minister was unable to protect women. Regarding the government, it is total chaos.

Why is the Prime Minister abandoning Canadians?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, of course Canadians want to get back to normal after two years of a pandemic. We understand that.

However, we have to kick-start all parts of the Government of Canada. We are adding more staff and extending working hours to ensure that we are meeting this increased demand.

We understand that Canadians are frustrated. We will be there for them and make the changes required to ensure that they receive the services they need.

Public Safety

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, another example of Liberal incompetence is the mismanagement of the Pinocchio affair.

Two senior ministers contradicted the Minister of Public Safety in committee by testifying that no police force specifically asked for the Emergencies Act to be invoked. The President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness said, and I quote, “I'm not aware of any recommendation from law enforcement.” There is squabbling in the Liberal ranks. The Minister of Public Safety has lost the confidence of his own colleagues.

When will the Prime Minister demand his resignation?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind members that we try to have intelligent discourse in the House. Name calling is not something I like to hear in this place.

The hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, if my colleague wants to see squabbling, he should just look at the official opposition benches. They are having a hard time getting along.

The more serious issue is what they are doing while the government is working to solve the problems and challenges that Canadians are facing. The Conservatives are spending their time filibustering. Filibustering is the first thing they think about when they wake up in the morning and the last think they think about when they go to bed at night. How do they spend their time in between? They filibuster.

The Economy

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, $3,100 in food and alcohol costs for a flight to Dubai may seem normal to these "speNDP-Liberals”, but it is beyond the reach of a vast majority of Canadians who struggle every day to pay their bills let alone imagine taking a flight. However, that did not stop the finance minister from lecturing to Canadians how good they have it from her podium in Toronto, where they charged $1,000 a table to hear her “hurry up and wait” approach to helping Canadians struggle with record high inflation.

Does the minister not understand that Canadians need help, not lectures, today, and will she start listening to Conservative proposals to fight inflation?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, unlike this side of the House, the opposition has no affordability plan. What it proposes is that Canadians put their money into Bitcoin.

There is a movie about that and it is called Risky Business. Had one listened to the Conservatives, one would have lost their shirt in the last year.

We are going to put $8.9 billion into the pockets of Canadians this year. The Conservatives bluff, bluster and blame. We double down and deliver.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, $3,100 for in-flight catering, for food costs, is no joke to Canadians.

These Liberals will not listen to pragmatic suggestions to help fight inflation. They will not stop their inflationary deficit spending. They will not give Canadians a break at the pumps. They think it hurts us, but instead, when they reject our ideas, it hurts Canadians.

Hope springs eternal, so I will try again. Here is an idea: In 2017, Bill Morneau added an inflationary clause to every user fee charged by the Canadian government, from national parks to port fees. They go up automatically. Will the minister get serious on inflation and say no more to the Morneau user fee escalator?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been working on affordability and making sure Canadians can not just make ends meet but prosper. We taxed the 1% and put more money in the pockets of Canadians.

The Canada worker benefit is going to benefit three million Canadians. A couple will make $2,500 more and a single person $1,200. There will be $500 if one is struggling for housing.

The other side thinks it has a plan, but I know one thing from Alberta, which is that that side is all hat and no cattle.

Passports

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people are having to line up for two days to get a passport because this government did not anticipate that Quebeckers and Canadians would be eager to travel this summer. When these people manage to get their passports, they head to the airport. The government also failed to anticipate that. The Liberals did not make the connection that more passports mean more people at the airport.

These ministers do not anticipate anything. They spend their time telling Quebec how to manage its health care system, its infrastructure and its language planning.

Why do they not mind their own business instead of interfering in Quebec's business? They already have a hard enough time looking after their own affairs.

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the Bloc Québécois's interest in Canadian passports.

I understand that Canadians across the country are frustrated about the wait times for getting their passports. We understand that Canadians want to travel again, after following guidelines and staying home for two years.

Demand is very high, and we are responding. We have already hired 600 additional people and are hiring another 600. The offices are open, but demand is extremely high right now. We are doing everything we can to meet the needs of Canadians all across the country.

Access to Information

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing this government sees coming are requests for access to information. When it comes to hiding information from the media and the public, the Liberals are officially the best of all time. Last year, 7,000 complaints were sent to the Information Commissioner, which represents an increase of 70%. The Liberals are the Wayne Gretzky of secrecy.

When we look at the most opaque departments, it becomes obvious. We are talking about the Prime Minister's Office itself, since leadership comes from the top, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, and the Canada Border Services Agency.

If the federal government has so many skeletons then why does it not just clean out its closet instead of always interfering in Quebec's jurisdictions?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the commissioner for her work on these issues. Openness, transparency and accountability are the guiding principles of our government.

We have invested more than $50 million in additional funding to improve access to information and we are currently proceeding with a regulatory review of the access to information process. We will continue to explore options for improving it, enhancing proactive publication and reducing delays.

The Economy

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are going hungry. Canadians are going to lose their homes because the cost of living is going up. The Minister of Finance made an announcement today that does not include anything new to help Canadians now. In fact, what a lot of Canadians will receive from this announcement is $7. Seven dollars extra does not even pay for a litre of milk and a loaf of bread.

Will the government finally realize people need immediate help and increase the financial support to families, everyday families who need help, by $500 to $1,000, as we are calling for?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we understand the challenges Canadians are facing at the pump and at the grocery store. As the hon. member knows, inflation is rising around the world. Here in Canada, we have the lowest inflation, yet it is still rising. That is why, in our budget, we were very clear. We have been working on affordability for a long time, and in our budget we have dental care for Canadian families and a doubling of the support provided through the first-time homebuyer's tax.

There is the Canada workers benefit, which is $2,400 for a couple and $1,200 for a single worker, as well as a $500 payment for those who are facing housing affordability challenges. Once again, this year, the basic income amount for everybody's taxes goes up in Canada, so more money will be in the pockets of Canadians.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, these are tough times, and Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. The Minister of Finance announced more help for a lot of Canadians: an extra $7. Seven dollars will not make much of a difference to all the people who do not have enough to buy groceries.

When will the government adopt our plan to increase financial support for people by $500 to $1,000, which would really help families in these tough times?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. We know inflation is rising around the world. Here in Canada, it has not risen as much, but we know it is still an issue for Canadians at the grocery store and at the pump.

That is why we introduced a dental care plan for Canadians in our budget. The Canada workers benefit will give couples an extra $2,400 and single workers an extra $1,200. We have an affordability plan, and we will follow it.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. They are seeing the price of everything skyrocket, from gasoline to groceries. All the while, Liberal officials jet-set around the world in decadence, drinking champagne and, if we can believe it, eating caviar. The $93,000 cost of catering on one of these flights would feed a Canadian family for years. Canadians are looking to catch a break, not catch a slap in the face.

When will the Liberals set their entitlements aside and finally put Canadians first?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, we know inflation is having an impact on Canadian lives, but I would like to take my colleague down memory lane. He referred to the expenses linked to alcohol. Stephen Harper's delegation took 348 bottles when it went to South Africa in 2013. I just wanted to state the facts. Of course, I hope—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order.

I will ask the hon. minister to please continue.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, clearly, the members opposite need to take back their fake outrage.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, well, the minister wants to talk about what happened a decade ago or more. We are talking about what has been happening while they have been in office. We are reading stories in the newspaper about Canadians who cannot afford a full tank of gas. They are running out of gas on their way to work in record numbers across the country. They are not able to afford groceries, prescriptions or even to turn on the air conditioning during a heat wave because of inflationary pressures.

We are asking the government to take a reality check, not take a luxurious flight and spend $93,000 on catering when they could do with a little less. When will they put their entitlements aside and put Canadians first?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would love to have known where that rhetoric was in support of Canadians when we were in the House trying to pass Bill C-2, Bill C-8 and the budget implementation act, which include billions of dollars to go into the hands of Canadians. Instead, we took the reins to make sure we could get legislation passed, so we could get $8.9 billion into the hands of Canadians.

For child care, which the people on the other side just want to shred, in Toronto alone, a family will save $19,790 a year. That will help families afford groceries and gas. We are doing this across the country because this government puts Canada first.